The United States delivered long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine this month, even before the American Congress approved new aid to Kyiv. The State Department announced that President Joe Biden made the direct request for the shipment of these missiles in February, which arrived in Ukraine in March as part of the latest aid package.
The inclusion of the missiles in the aid package was not announced at the time for operational security reasons, at Ukraine’s request. The ATACMS missiles, also known as MGM-140, have a much greater range than the missiles Ukraine previously had. Their arrival on the frontlines marks a significant turning point, as they can reach Russian bases with ease.
There were concerns in the past about delivering such missiles to Ukraine, with fears that it could escalate the conflict with Russia. However, Ukraine has now used American ATACMS missiles against Russia for the first time in October, with the recently delivered missiles having an even longer range. The significance of these missiles in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia cannot be understated.